Kosher foods have been around for thousands of years. They are a part of Jewish dietary laws that were created to provide the healthiest types of food because of the way they were prepared. Kosher foods also involve certain animals and the way they are raised and killed before they are eaten. Today, these guidelines still exist and they are strictly followed by Orthodox Jews, but other people also follow a kosher diet because of its many health benefits. Following is a guide that explains some of the benefits of eating kosher foods and some easy ways to find them so that you can incorporate them into your daily life.

The Health Benefits of a Kosher DietJust because certain foods are not deemed kosher does not mean that they are not healthy. In fact, many healthy foods that you eat do not carry the kosher name and are not raised according to kosher guidelines. If you mix meat and milk together, which is against kosher guidelines, you will not likely become sick. The same is true with eating pork and shellfish.

Kosher laws were created as a way to place restrictions on man. They were used as a means of depriving themselves in the Torah. Since God placed humankind ruler over the animals, we are allowed to eat them as we see fit. By placing limits on the amount of foods that we eat, though, kosher guidelines help us to practice self-control and practice a healthier diet overall for our bodies. By placing limits on what we eat, we can practice the discipline that we need in other areas of life.

The health benefits of kosher foods are numerous. People who practice a strict kosher diet tend to be healthier than those who eat foods that are not kosher. Cholesterol levels are typically much lower. One of the biggest reasons for this is because kosher guidelines do not allow meat and dairy to mix. This means no cheeseburgers, pizza, lasagna or any other foods that combine meat and cheese. As a result, this cuts out about 90% of what people would normally eat at a fast-food restaurant. When mixed together, the body cannot break meat and cheese down as quickly as it can when it is eaten separately. This means that it stays in your body longer and causes higher cholesterol levels or other health problems common in today’s society.

Another reason that a kosher diet is healthier is because it restricts pork. This “other white meat” has many more allergens than other types of meat. Most people who eat pork might not even know that it contains these allergens, but their body suffers health problems as a result.

How Kosher Foods are PreparedNot only are kosher foods generally better for your health, they are also prepared differently. The animals that are used for meat, as an example, are killed according to certain rules and guidelines. The animal cannot know that it is about ready to be killed and the death must be immediate and painless.

The main reason for these killing guidelines is simple: Animals, like humans, release chemicals in the body when they fear for their lives. For humans, adrenaline is released throughout our body to help us deal with the impending situation. Similarly, animals also release hormones at the first sign of danger. These hormones remain in the meat after the animal is killed. This can be harmful to the person who ingests these hormones.

With the kosher procedure, though, the animals do not have a chance to release this hormone because they do not feel a sense of fear. Not only is this beneficial to your health, you might also feel better about eating kosher meats because of the humane treatment the animals receive before they are slaughtered.

How to Find Kosher FoodsFollowing a kosher diet is not difficult if you know what to look for. It might seem difficult at first because you see people eating anything they want. However, following a kosher diet is often easier than following a fad diet. The most difficult part will likely be finding kosher meats, but some of the larger grocery stores will have kosher options or you might be able to find a local Jewish market if you live near a big city. Here are some basic guidelines when looking for acceptable foods that meet kosher guidelines:

Foods that are Off-LimitsAny pork products are a “no-no” on according to kosher guidelines, but stay away from any reptiles, insects and small mammals. Rabbits, for instance, would not be kosher.

Familiarize Yourself with Kosher Food Rules

This step will likely take the most research. Once you know the basic laws that govern a kosher diet, though, it will be much easier to find foods you can eat. For instance, according to the Book of Leviticus, animals that have cloven hooves and chew their own cud are acceptable. Land mammals that do not have both qualities, though, are forbidden. Sheep, cattle, deer, bison and goats all fit within the guidelines of acceptable animals if they are killed properly.

Look for Kosher Food Symbols on Products

Your local grocery store will have several kosher items available. In fact, you may have even bought some kosher foods without knowing it. If you are looking for kosher products, look for a symbol on the packaging that contains a “U” with a circle around it. It can also be a “K” with a circle around it, but a “K” that stands alone is not necessarily kosher.

Consult a Jewish AuthorityOne of the problems of trying to find acceptable kosher items is that there are some animals around in regions of the world that were not around when these laws were compiled. The buffalo, for instance, is becoming a popular menu item in recent years. However, it was not around when the Jewish people first listed the acceptable animals. If you are not sure, you can try to find a local rabbi. On the other hand, the website Oukosher.org is also a great resource for the latest information.

Remove the Blood

Even after the animal is killed, there are still guidelines for preparing it before you can eat it. All of the blood must be removed from the meat before it is consumed. You can either drain the blood out or broil it out.

Differentiate Between the Details

Some of the kosher diet guidelines are for the sake of spirituality and Orthodox Jewish regulations rather than for the sake of health. For instance, kosher law states that you can only consume grape products made by Jewish people. There is also a law that states that utensils that have touched a non-kosher product cannot touch a kosher product because it has become unclean. This might seem strict, but it is designed to teach discipline. It is not necessary, however, to follow guidelines like these if you are merely using the diet as means to improve your health.

Kosher foods are usually misunderstood because people do not typically take the time to find out what they are all about. If you told the average person that you follow a kosher diet, they may look at you curiously or even think that you are a fanatic. However, following kosher guidelines has many health and psychological benefits that you can take advantage of. It is amazing that people who lived thousands of years before the technology that we have today were able to realize that certain foods and combinations were bad for their bodies and they should be avoided at all costs. If you can familiarize yourself with some of the basic principles of a kosher diet, you can likely follow it closely to improve your health and self-discipline.

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